Krugman on the Republicans. But I don’t know, that doesn’t sound like the John McCain I know, who is not rooting for the end of the world to mobilize his base of poison-breathing flesh zombies; not someone anyone would want to torture to stop a ticking bomb; not a leading warmonger who likes to joke about bombing Iran; not someone who likes to joke about finding other good ways to murder Iranians, such as with American cigarettes; and definitely not someone reasonable people should fear. I forgot where I was going with this, but I’m pretty sure it has something to do with how Republicans are just like great white sharks — you just have to punch them in the nose without stopping to think about it.
- Reblog
-
Subscribe
Subscribed
Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
Accidental Blogger 
3 responses to ““Real men don’t think things through” (Joe)”
So okay, is this an issue of Republicans vs Democrats or testosterone (shoot first, ask questions later hormone) vs estrogen (the civilizing hormone)? I am not sure. Unfortunately, women candidates for high office often have to hide their womanly common sense and caution in order to get elected. So we don’t really know whether “Real Women” can indeed think things through better. But “real men” don’t just cause wars, support torture and make policies lacking in far-sight. They are also narcissists who think they are god’s own gift to mankind – or more often, womankind. And in that category, the Dems are no less shark-like than the Republicans.
In current American politics, it is fine to mess with the world but unforgivable to mess with one’s family, particularly when one has waxed a bit too eloquent about ethics and morality. Just imagine where we’d be today if Pretty Boy John Edwards with all his bright eyed homilies about poverty, universal healthcare and the Two Americas were the Democratic nominee for 2008. What a fool!
LikeLike
I’m not sure how I feel about the Edwards affair. On the one hand, he was never a “family values” moral crusader (a la Eliot Spitzer) — his thing was always poverty. There’s simply no connection between the two; there’s no hypocrisy involved. (Of course, it means that he made an unsavory personal choice, but I just assume that all politicians are more than a little unsavory — it’s a prerequisite of being a successful politician [which of course includes Hillary and Barack, not to mention McCain with his own particularly sleazy affair in his past].) On the other hand, if he were the nominee right now, this would be a pretty big problem. Considering the importance of this election, he shouldn’t have risked putting us in that situation.
LikeLike
On the one hand, he was never a “family values” moral crusader (a la Eliot Spitzer) — his thing was always poverty. There’s simply no connection between the two;
I agree. A crusader against poverty doesn’t necessarily have to be faithful to his wife. I personally don’t care who sleeps with whom as long as it’s not my own husband or that of someone dear to me who may be hurt.
But I don’t agree that no hypocrisy was involved. After all, John Edwards said this about the Clinton-Lewinsky affair in 1999 : “I think this president has shown a remarkable disrespect for his office, for the moral dimensions of leadership, for his friends, for his wife, for his precious daughter.”
Edwards used his accomplished and equally vocal (on poverty and health care) wife as a buttress for his own political positions. He also assiduously projected a wholesome family man image to run as a candidate. All the while, he knew that he had this affair in the background which when uncovered, would compromise not just his family but also his party and his supporters whose trust he sought with their votes and their contributions. I do believe that the child is his. In that case, it is hypocritical of him not to stand by that child with financial and emotional support until she reaches adulthood. And who paid the $3 million to the woman (hush money?) and $4 million to the man who claims to be the father of the child (no paternity test will be performed). Was it all from Edwards’ personal wealth or did the pay off come from campaign funds which is public money? Surely there is hypocrisy and immense narcissism involved. The question now may be whether there was also illegality involved.
LikeLike